The Choice of Love
by DX1998
Summary: The power of the Tattered Spire was truly incredible. The ability to grant ones wish- any wish -should not be underestimated. It was just in the character of the Hero of Bowerstone to use that power for, perhaps, the least selfish reason of all...desiring to have her sister back. Waking up in the middle of a forest, Rose will not let that wish be in vain. Never.
1. Chapter 1

** AN: Busy I may be, I really need to avoid playing Fable...because here we are with another story.**

** As you've probably noticed from the other one, Rose is one of my favorite characters. For what little you see of her, she seems like a much more loving character than most in the universe (though, to be fair her competition in the sibling department are Theresa and _Logan_...) to be honest. And I like that about her character, and think it's a bit of a shame she doesn't feature even after you pick Love. That was a large reason why I did _A Rose and A Sparrow_...but, I wanted to continue her story into Fable 3 if at all possible. And as good as ARaS _was_ (in my opinion), it wouldn't have continued well. Rose would be in her 80s and presuming she wasn't dead or pushed aside...**

** Well, the ARaS Rose would _not_ let Logan go as far as he did. So, thus, this was born. This is designed to be the first of two stories...this one a Post-Love story, with the second being Fable 3 with a younger (forties) Rose around. After all, she needs a reintroduction right?**

**I should also note that _this_ fic will be mostly from Rose's point-of-view. There will be bits from Sparrow's, but it is very much a Rose-centric fic. Not enough of those, in my humble opinion ;)**

**I hope everyone enjoys it and reviews! :D**

* * *

The first rays of sunlight began to fall over the lands of Albion, the nation blanketed in a thick layer of snow. While a beautiful sight, this was the most brutal winter the nation had endured in decades. Those few who wandered the land had to do so piled with clothing, or run the risk of freezing to death. And yet, Albion endured. A fact driven home as the first light of dawn fell on Bowerstone.

The largest city in Albion, Bowerstone was ancient. Older than any other city, it had grown tremendously over the centuries. A massive castle dominated the town, casting a shadow over the citizens just rousing from their slumbers. Near to this castle, nestled in a small sheltered area between two old buildings, sat a rickety shelter. Inside the shelter, a young girl with brown hair haphazardly tied into pigtails stirred. Blinking her eyes in the dim sunlight that filtered through gathering clouds, the girl sat up and wiped at her watering eyes.

Letting loose a large yawn, she turned her head to look at the other occupant of the rickety shelter. An even younger girl, her body moving ever so slightly as she continued to sleep in, brown hair shifting from her breaths.

The older girl smiled at the sight, before turning away from the younger girl, and reaching to her side. Her hands came back up with an old notebook, the book yellowing slightly at its frayed edges. Retrieving a piece of small charcoal, the girl opened the book and looked out at the barely visible castle in the distance. Opening her old diary to its most recent page, the girl bit her lip as she continued to work at a sketch of the castle she had been working on for some time.

Looking up occasionally to get a better idea of what to draw, the girl finally sat her charcoal down after nearly thirty minutes of work. Smiling at her sketch, she cast another look at the sleeping girl. Her smile turned a bit sad, as she picked the charcoal back up and began to write underneath the drawing...learning her letters had been something she was proud of, and she always made sure to make diary entries to keep her knowledge up.

_I managed to find a nice piece of charcoal this morning, so I can finally start writing again. I still haven't finished putting down the story about the warrior girl who fights snow monsters. Sparrow always likes listening to that one-sends her right to sleep!_

Casting a quick glance at the snoozing Sparrow, the girl smiled again, before continuing to write.

_It's not so easy for me. Winter is getting colder, and soon our shelter won't be anywhere near enough. We'll freeze to death if we don't find something better. And the family of travelers who let us stay in their caravan last winter haven't come back this year. It was nice having someone to look after us for a change._

It really had been nice...having someone else look after the girl and her sister. Warm food, warmer shelter...those days were some of the happiest she could remember. But the travelers had just...left...one day, and she hadn't seen them since. Her and Sparrow had been forced to live in the old shelter between the buildings, struggling to stay warm and fed.

Pushing the dark thoughts from her mind, she continued to write.

_If only we could find some secret passage into the castle...we're small enough that no one would notice us. We'd be like ghosts, or like mice hiding in the walls. We'd tip-toe out when everyone goes to bed and raid the larder. I bet they have so much food in there, they'd never even notice. _

_Bah, day-dreaming isn't going to get us anywhere. You have to think of something, Rose. You're the big sister, remember?_

As she finished writing that, Rose heard her younger sister start stirring beside her. Quickly placing her diary under a loose floorboard, Rose looked at Sparrow as she sat up, shivering slightly as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The younger girl yawned widely, as she blinked brown eyes at her sister, equally brown hair tousled and falling around her face. The older girl giggled at the sight, getting to her feet and walking over to her sister.

"Rose?" Sparrow asked, her voice tired, "Why're you already up?"

The older sister smiled down on her sister, "Someone has to make sure you get up on time little Sparrow. Come on, lets go get the fire started...I'm _freezing_!"

If the shiver was any indication, so too was Sparrow. Rose pulled her sister to her feet, wincing slightly at how thin she was. They hadn't had a decent meal in...honestly, neither of them knew how long. The effects were quite easy to see...Sparrow was even smaller than her eight years of age would indicate, while Rose was thinner than anyone in Albion had a right to be. Trying to put those thoughts aside, Rose eagerly pulled her half-awake sister along, as the pair walked down the snow-covered path from their shack, to an old barrel. Digging in the snow beside the barrel while Sparrow shivered in the falling snow, the older girl came back up with an old flint.

Smiling slightly at Sparrow, Rose struck the flint a few times, setting alight the wood piled into the barrel. Soon enough, a crackling fire began to form in the barrel, spreading some amount of warmth around it. The two sisters huddled up next to the fire, holding their hands over it. Small it may have been, the fire worked wonders for warming their thin bodies. The sisters talked, and huddled close to each other, to share the warmth as much as possible.

At least, until _something_ fell from the heavens and bounced off Sparrow's head. The girl jumped into the air, running her hands through her hair while Rose did her best to hold in a giggle. For what had landed on her sisters head was frozen...bird poop. Sparrow gave her sister a small glare, before she started giggling herself at the absurdity of the situation.

"I've heard that's lucky…like finding a four leaf clover," Rose said through her giggles, "Though I think I'd prefer the clover."

"I would too," Sparrow agreed, nodding her head vigorously.

Rose smiled, before looking out at the castle in the distance. Now that she was out of the shelter, it was a lot easier to see the entire structure. And while it should have looked imposing, considering its size and the way it dominated the Bowerstone sky...in the dim sun and falling snow, the castle looked like something out of a story book. Rose couldn't help but gasp at the sight...it striking her once again, just how beautiful the castle looked in the winter.

"Look Little Sparrow…Castle Fairfax looks so nice in the snow," the young girl said, her voice wistful, "Imagine the grand dining hall…Lord Lucien must be having roast duck this time of year."

The very mentioning of food, especially something as amazing as roast duck, got both sister's empty stomachs growling. Rose gave her sister an apologetic look, as Sparrow held her stomach and groaned slightly. Trying to draw her sister, and her own, attention from their own lack of food, the older girl looked back at the castle.

"I bet he must be really lonely since his wife and daughter died…in that big castle, all by himself."

Sparrow looked sad at the thought. Rose knew how much her sister loved her, and she was probably imagining what it would be like to be alone. As for herself, Rose had only barely stopped herself from saying 'I wish we could live there'. It wouldn't do to get Sparrow's thoughts going in that direction...she worked so hard to keep her sister happy after all, despite the suffering both of them had to endure in the cold Bowerstone winters.

Needless to say, the slightly older girl didn't really want to keep thinking about their situation. So the sudden noise coming from further into Old Town was a welcome distraction. Sparrow hadn't seemed to have noticed as she continued to stare at Castle Fairfax though. So Rose tugged on her sister's arm, getting her attention.

"Huh?" the younger girl eloquently asked.

Rose chuckled, "Come on you day-dreamer. Can't you hear that noise?"

"Wha' noise?" Sparrow asked, before she heard the sound of a large crowd, "wha's going on?"

"That's what I want to find out silly," Rose replied, shaking her head with an amused look on her face, "let's go!"

Sparrow sheepishly smiled at her sister, following the older girl down the path towards the town square. Rose looked back occasionally, hiding another smile at the way her sister looked around like everything was new. Sparrow acted every bit her age...always curious that one. It always served to buoy her sister's flagging spirits too. As long as the younger girl could be happy and live something resembling a normal childhood...well, all the suffering and work was worth it.

There were some things she just wouldn't do though...not even for Sparrow. For instance, the sight of a dirty man looming in the alley leading to the square. Rose groaned, eliciting a curious look from Sparrow. Giving her sister a reassuring look, Rose let go of her hand, and walked up to the man. Named Arfur, the man was a crook through and through...Old Town bore the dregs of Bowerstone's society, and he was the worst of _that_ lot. The leer he was giving Rose under his tattered hat always sent a shiver down her spine...

"Hey Rosie," the man said, his voice every bit as disturbing as his grin, "ya reconsidered my offer?"

Rose fought a shudder, as she gave the man her best glare, "No means _no_! We'll never be _that_ hungry!"

Arfur shrugged, "You'll be back."

Breaking eye-contact with the crook, Rose walked back to Sparrow. Her heart warmed up when she saw the glare her sister was sending at the disgusting man. Sparrow's hand was near her old wooden sword. Bless her heart...even at eight years old, the young girl would do anything to protect her sister. Even if she probably didn't know _what_ she was being asked to do. Rose would never, _ever_, tell her sister exactly what Arfur was asking of her. Better that Sparrow remain in the dark...it wasn't like Rose would ever actually say yes anyway.

Sighing slightly, the girl squeezed her sister's hand...her presence a welcome comfort. Sparrow turned away from glaring at Arfur, to grin at her sister. While she didn't say anything with the old creep in earshot, the look in her brown eyes spoke volumes. No matter what Rose did, her sister would always be there for her. And if Arfur tried to force her into something...well, the older girl _almost_ pitied the man. Small or not, Sparrow was quite the fierce fighter. And that sword of her's could kill if she used it properly. But the last thing Rose wanted was for her sister to be a killer. So she squeezed her hand again, and lead the younger girl down the path towards a large crowd in the distance.

The excitement of the crowd didn't take much time to wear off though.

"Oh...it's just a trader..." the older girl's voice showed her disappointment, "I can't even see anything from back here!"

As Rose tried to jump up to see past the crowd, Sparrow tugged on her raggedy sleeve. Turning to her sister, Rose saw Sparrow holding her hands out.

"Lift me up!" the girl said eagerly, "I can see from your shoulders!"

The older sister hesitated. Once upon a time she wouldn't have trouble lifting Sparrow up. Now? Her sister was small, but Rose wasn't exactly healthy. The childish joy in her sister's eyes at the idea broke Rose's resolve though. With a barely noticeable sigh, she picked Sparrow up and placed the younger girl on her shoulders. Rose wasn't the tallest person in the world, but her younger sister could see over the crowd at least somewhat.

The sight that greeted her was of a caravan with an oddly dressed trader. The man had a large mustache, and looked quite well off for a trader. He looked out at the crowd, a wide grin on his face. Spinning around, the trader pointed at a mirror on his caravan, before turning back to the crowd.

"A-ladies and A-gentleman!" the man shouted, "I have traveled the land accumulating many wondrous objects! And today, for the bargain price of just five gold, you can have one of them!"

Sparrow giggled at the man's enthusiasm, while Rose shifted slightly under her sister's weight and snorted. Consummate trader this one...get the people interested in his wares by being enthusiastic and setting them in a frenzy for the 'special' things. Not that it mattered...no way could she afford to spend five gold, even if she _had_ that much money, on some worthless junk.

_But_, Rose acknowledged, _at least little Sparrow is having fun._

Letting that thought cheer her up, the older sister refocused on the trader. While she couldn't see him, the younger girl on her shoulders relayed down what was going on.

"That is a fancy mirror," Sparrow said, before a giggle came from her.

Rose was going to ask what was so funny, before she heard what the trader actually had to say.

"This is a truly _magical_ mirror. So long as you look in it, it will make you _beautiful_!"

A man in the crowd wasted little time. The moment the trader finished the word 'beautiful', he yelled, "I'll take it!"

The trader didn't miss a beat, "Very wise my good sir! Just remember, you must look at it in complete _darkness_ for the magic to work!"

Both sisters started giggling at that, especially considering the man didn't seem to _care_ about what the trader said. The sisters were children, and they realized how much the man had just been swindled. Good thing they were so smart for their ages!

As Rose continued to laugh, she felt Sparrow tighten her legs. Looking up, the young girl saw a curious look on her sister's face. Paying attention to what the trader was saying, it didn't take much to figure out why the younger sister was so interested.

"This small, unassuming box is actually a device created by the ancients themselves! Used by the kings of the Old Kingdom!" the trader shouted eagerly, "Just turn the handle three times, exactly three mind you, and it will grant you one wish. Remember, just five gold!"

While Sparrow continued to eagerly stare at the box, Rose carefully let her sister back down to the ground. She herself just sighed, and shook her head. And she wasn't the only one...anyone in the crowd who were older than her little Sparrow did the same. After all...

"There's no such thing as magic," the young girl said, her voice sounding far older than her young years.

As Rose said that, a thin woman in thick red robes turned slightly. The woman's face was partially hidden under her hood, but from the angle she was at, Rose could see the face easily enough. High cheekbones, a somewhat regal look really, and white eyes. While the woman didn't _look_ that old, somehow, the young girl got the sense she was far older than she appeared. And the way her eyes seemed to look right through her...she had to suppress a shudder.

The woman didn't seem to notice that though, as she began talking. Her voice did more to betray her age than anything else about her...the voice cracked and ancient sounding.

"We live in grim times indeed if the young are so bitter to not believe in magic. Most children your age believe eagerly."

While she still felt awkward around this woman, Rose did _not_ like being talked down to like that. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, the girl glared up at the woman, "Look, I can see your eyes are bad. But that box is rubbish!"

The older woman looked over at the seller, "That's what the trader thinks, yes. But you...you have an inkling don't you? You _want_ to believe its magic."

While she was still on edge, Rose's resolve began to falter. While she would never admit it, especially not in front of her entirely too impressionable sister...she _did_ want to believe. She wanted to believe in magic...in the potential for getting a better life. The idea of the music box actually working and granting her wish...needless to say, the temptation was extreme. A single wish...they could do so much with just a single wish...

"You really think so?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

The woman, who had begun walking away, turned her head slightly, "For five gold, you could have your answer."

Rose's anger came rushing back at that, "And for five gold we wouldn't go hungry for a week!"

The old woman turned her head away again, "And yet, at the end of that week, you and your little Sparrow would be no closer to your dream Rose. No closer to the inside of that castle."

And with that, the woman continued walking, vanishing around the corner. Sparrow looked at her sister worriedly, as Rose stood rooted to the spot. The older girl blinked rapidly, trying to remember if she had ever seen that woman before. And no matter how hard she tried...she couldn't remember her, at all. So how then...how did she know their names? And know how much they wanted to live in Castle Fairfax...

Shaking her head, Rose sent a comforting smile at her sister before sighing as the crowd in front of them faded away. Now that they had a clear view of the trade stall, the young girl felt herself giving in. She wanted to see if that music box could grant her wish. She wanted to at least _try_. The chance...the chance that her little Sparrow could finally live a safe life was more tempting than she had thought it would be.

Grabbing her sister's hand, Rose pulled the younger girl along.

"What is it Rose?" the girl whined slightly.

Realizing her grip was tighter than it should have been, Rose forced herself to calm down.

"We're going to get some gold for the music box little Sparrow," the older sister answered...holding back a smile at the way her sister's eyes lit up.

"Really?!" the younger girl shouted, a grin spreading across her face, "Thank you Rose!"

The older girl chuckled, "No problem really. But we do need to find someone with spare gold..."

As she looked around for anyone who had spare money, Rose felt Sparrow tugging on _her_ hand this time. Looking at her sister, she saw the younger girl pointing towards the guard post in the distance. The man standing at the post looked like something was wrong, as he kept casting wary looks to the sides. Rose and Sparrow walked up to him, the guard sending them a look. Like he wanted their help...

Well, if he was willing to pay, then they would be willing to work. Easy money and all.

"'Ello Derek," Rose said, knowing the man fairly well, "need somethin?"

Derek looked to his sides again, before turning to the sisters, "Well...my arrest warrants, blew right out of my hands. They could be all over Bowerstone by now, and I can't leave my post!"

Looking down on the kids, the guard struggled to come up with something to say. After a few seconds though, his eyes lit up as he looked the sisters up and down, "Hey, why don't you find them for me? You could be like…little constables! Sounds fun right?"

Rose made a show of thinking over what Derek was saying, eliciting a giggle from Sparrow. Looking up at the much taller man, she bore a grin on her face.

"And how much do _little constables_ get paid?" the young teenager asked curiously.

Derek sputtered, "Paid? These are the five most dangerous criminals in Bowerstone we're talking about!"

"Five gold then?" Rose asked, her grin widening.

"Wha...no! I can give you one gold, that's the most I can do!"

"Deal! Come on little Sparrow."

Waving at the red-faced guard, the two sisters turned away from him and walked deeper into Old Town. The group that had previously been gathered around the trader seemed to have moved further into the town themselves, now standing around a platform set up by an alley. A man was standing in front of the platform, a strange device sitting in front of him. Both sisters gave each other curious looks. They hadn't seen something like _that_ before.

The man, on the other hand, seemed to have noticed them staring. He waved the girls forward, smiling widely.

"Hello children!" the man said, his voice every bit as cheerful as his grin.

"Hello," Rose replied, finding she liked this eccentric man, "what's that behind you?"

While she wouldn't have thought it possible before, the man's smile grew even _wider_. He put a hand on the strange device, before turning back to the sisters.

"This? Why it's only the most amazing device ever conceived! It grabs your very likeness and transfidles it onto a magic piece of paper. It's going to make me rich," the man answered, before he started to look thoughtful, "If only I could find someone to modilify it for me..."

Rose looked at her sister, who smiled up at her, "We'll do it...for gold."

The man winced slightly, "Hmm…I only have one gold left. But you're right; I should investorize it in my new venture. You have a deal young miss!"

Taking the gold from the man's hands, the two sisters grinned at each other. It was only one gold, but it was a start! And this was free gold too...all they had to do was model for the man, and they'd be done. Easy money was the best money after all. So the two girls climbed onto the platform in front of the picture box.

At the man's request, both of them had to strike a pose. Sparrow took out her sword and held it in front of her, a grin spreading across her childish face. For her part, Rose leaned back slightly, smiling at the camera. She thought it was a good look for her, since she wasn't a fighter like her sister. As the sisters maintained their poses, a brilliant flash came from the front of the picture box. Blinking her eyes to clear the aftereffects of said flash, Rose almost fell off the side of the platform.

Catching herself, she saw the man practically caressing his box.

"Wondrous! This thing is going to be more popular than the pox!"

Rose's face turned into a disbelieving look, "Err..."

The inventor seemed to ignore her though, "Now I just have to wait three months for the pictures to develifiy, and I can show them around! I can practically smell the gold!"

Needless to say, the little crowd around the platform started to heckle the man for that statement. He didn't seem to care though, as he continued to look at his device with starry eyes. The sisters left the area, before they looked at each other. Sparrow looked like she was holding in a laugh, while Rose sent a worried look back at the man. He was nice enough...but he didn't seem right in the head. Hopefully nothing happened to him.

_Nothing I can do though_, the young girl reminded herself, _and the gold is nice!_

"Rose..." Sparrow suddenly said, "do you hear that?"

Shaking her thoughts away from the eccentric man, Rose turned to her sister. Sparrow had a worried look on her face...and as her sister listened, she could hear something that brought anger to her heart. The sound of whimpering...a puppy, that sounded in pain. Rushing forward, the two sisters came across quite the sight. A group of children, most Sparrows age...with one much larger boy crouched on the ground. He held a wooden sword much like Sparrow's in front of him, swinging it at...a puppy, that couldn't be even a year old.

"Come on boy, I've got a treat for ya!" the boy said, cruelty practically _leaking_ through his voice.

Rose saw red at that sight. She was normally too kind-hearted to let things get her angry. But torturing a poor puppy like that...nothing deserved that. Letting her temper get the better of her, the young girl ran up to the much larger boy. The teen stood up lazily, and looked down on Rose, who glared right back up at him.

"What the 'ell are you doing!" the girl shouted.

"Having a little fun," the boy replied, "what's it to you?"

"You can..." Rose began, before the bully sent his head into hers, "ah!"

The young girl crumpled to the ground, holding her head. Stars swam in front of her eyes, as she curled into a ball and tried to will the pain to go away. Groaning at the ringing in her head, Rose didn't even see what happened above her. It wasn't until she felt Sparrow's hand on her shoulder that the young teen managed to pull herself to her feet. And when she did, her eyes went wide.

The larger boy was on the ground, out cold. Several welts were visible on his body...the same size and shape as the blade on Sparrow's sword. Looking at her sister, Rose saw her glaring at the boy...blood visible on the blade of her toy sword. Blinking rapidly, Rose pulled her sister to her side. The younger girl shook slightly, before letting her anger go and returning the hug.

"Thanks for your help. I could have taken him though," the older girl said.

Sparrow didn't say anything, settling for enjoying the comforting warmth of her sister's body. Giving her sister another squeeze, Rose let go and got on her knees down by the scared pup. The dog whimpered as the girl reached a hand out, making her quickly retract her limb and a sad look cross her face. Looking at the whimpering dog, Rose continued to bear a sad look.

"Oh poor thing…you've had a horrible time," the girl said sadly, trying to pet the poor thing again, "don't worry, I won't hurt you."

The pup looked at her with wide eyes, before hesitantly licking Rose's hand. The girl gave it a comforting smile as it did so. It wasn't quick, but the dog stopped whimpering and started to rub its head against the young girl's hand. Smiling slightly at that, Rose turned back to her sister. Sparrow walked forward slowly, and started to pet the puppy. The dog flinched at first, but it soon started to pant happily as the youngest girl ran her hand along its sides. The sight was quite adorable honestly...Rose knew her sister was good with animals after all.

But, as much as Sparrow seemed to like the pup...they couldn't keep him.

"What you need is someone to look after you," Rose mused, "and I'm sorry, but we can't keep you."

Sparrow looked up at that, "But Rose! Look at 'im!"

The older girl almost gave in...the combination of her sister _and_ the pup giving her pleading eyes was quite effective. But...

"I'm sorry little Sparrow, but we barely have enough food for ourselves," she told her sister, "and you, just stay here and rest okay?"

Pulling her reluctant sister away from the pup, Rose continued to move down the alley. The pair walked quietly, until they came across a piece of paper laying on the ground. Here, where most of the snow was missing from the street, it was quite easy to see the yellowing piece of paper. Sparrow let out an excited noise, as she ran up to the paper. Rose walked up more slowly, grinning at her sister as she held up one of the warrants they needed for Derek.

_**Ronnie "Rhymes**_ _**With" Parsonist**_

_**Wanted for: 19 counts of**_ _**Setting Fire to Public Property or an Officer of the Peace.**_

Well...that explained why Derek wanted the warrants. Setting fire to _Guards_?

"Sparrow..."

"Rose?"

"Please stay far away from this guy..."

The younger girl started giggling at the dry tone of Rose's voice, and the equally deadpan look on her sister's face. Thing was, Rose was being entirely serious here. She didn't want her sister getting hurt after all. Shaking her head, and feeling a small smile tugging at her own lips, the young girl was about to say something to her sister...when another piece of paper flew into her face.

Stumbling back and wildly swiping at the air in front of her, Rose glared at her sister. Sparrow was rolling on the ground, laughing at her sister who was trying to calm down her racing heart. Letting out a laugh of her own at the sheer absurdity of the situation, Rose realized that she had found another of the warrants. Snatching the piece of paper out of the air, she began to read aloud while her sister got to her feet, giggles still coming from her small frame.

_**Leroy "Unremarkable" Stone**_

_**Known aliases: Leroy Ten-Fingers, Leroy One-Nose,**_ _**Leroy Two-Eyes, Leroy Has-Hair, Leroy Is-Alive.**_

_**Wanted for: Suspicious Though**_ _**Otherwise Unremarkable Behaviour**_

"How're they going to find him?" Sparrow asked curiously.

Rose just chuckled, and pulled her sister along after pocketing both the warrants. That was two warrants down, and one gold coin down. Their little quest was going quite well in her opinion. They just needed to find a way to make more gold, and there was almost certainly _someone_ in the next area who would need help after all. In fact, it was right after they entered the small clearing that someone drew the attention of the sisters.

Well, two someones really. An exasperated woman, and a clearly drunk man. The pair were arguing about something, and the sisters probably would have avoided them under most circumstances. But as they walked past, the man turned to look at them. His words were horribly slurred together, but still understandable as he spoke to the pair.

"Oh look at that Betty…_two_ sets of twins! You'll get my booze back for me won't ya?"

It was almost sad how obviously out of his rutter the man was. Thankfully, the woman, apparently named Betty, next to him was sober...if annoyed.

"You can hardly stand as it is…"

The man scoffed, "But they can! And probably straight too!"

"Pete, you _don't_ need that drink!"

The drunk, Pete, ignored his friend (or wife), "Get my booze back from that git Magpie and I'll give you a shiny gold piece for it!"

Rose frowned...she wanted the gold, certainly. But the man was clearly not in the right state of mind. Could she _really_ get him _more_ alcohol? It didn't seem _right_ somehow. Sparrow, bless her heart, looked like she wanted nothing more than to help the man. Certainly not like she wanted to get him his beer back. It just strengthened Rose's own resolve to say no...until Betty stuck her hand out in front of the sisters.

"Wait...get the drink back, and give it to me and I'll pay you two gold," the older woman said with a small smile.

"Deal!" Rose said, before the drunk could say anything.

"Betty!" the man whined as the sisters left, and promptly ignored the resulting argument.

The pair walked away from the arguing friends (lovers?) and towards another alley. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. As such, they didn't say anything to each other, before coming across a sleeping man further down the alley. The man was covered in even more patchy rags than their own clothing, and was surrounded by towering stacks of boxes. Wouldn't take much to knock one of _those_ down...

Rose bit her lip at the sight. She could see the glint of a bottle next to the sleeping man...but she wasn't stealthy enough to get down there on her own. She was too tall, and clumsy. She didn't want to send Sparrow down there alone though. What if the man woke up? Her sister was a good fighter (as that bully had found out)...but, this was a fully grown man they were talking about!

Feeling her sister squeeze her hand to calm her down, Rose smiled down on her. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Rose nodded down the alley.

"That must be Magpie…and that's the bottle next to him," the younger girl stated, "Get it Little Sparrow…but don't wake him up!"

"On it sis," Sparrow nodded, her face set in a tight line...though really, it just made her look cute in a childish way.

Anxiously watching her sister creep up past the unstable piles of boxes, Rose whispered, "Careful little Sparrow...careful..."

She shouldn't have worried though. Her sister deftly snapped the bottle up from next to the sleeping man, and came out of the alley as silently as she had entered. Sparrow grinned up at her older sibling, as she handed the drink over. Rose let out the breath she had been holding, and smiled back as she ruffled her sister's hair affectionately. Sparrow swiped at her sister's hand, a mock glare on her face. The older girl just giggled, and walked off towards the arguing pair in the distance.

"Let's go collect our gold from the Lady and the Tramp."

When the two arrived at the older pair, they saw Pete grumbling something under his breath, while Betty smiled down on the pair. She held out her hand, two shiny gold pieces glinting in the dull light. Rose eagerly handed the bottle over, feeling the cold metal of the gold in her hand. They had three gold now! She was so wrapped up in staring at the golden coins, that the older girl didn't notice Betty talking to her sister and handing Sparrow a purple-stained piece of paper.

It was only when they had walked away from the older people and her sister started tugging on her sleeve that Rose realized something was going on.

"What is it Sparrow?" the older girl asked, before grinning as she saw the warrant, "You found another warrant?!"

Sparrow nodded proudly, "Yep! That nice woman gave it to me!"

Rose smiled happily, as she read the new warrant for her sister.

_**Allan "Alliteration" Altamont**_

_**Wanted for: Breaking and**_ _**Entering; Breaking and**_ _**Smashing; Breaking and**_ _**Repeatedly Stomping Upon;**_ _**Breaking, Gluing Back**_ _**Together, and Trying to Pass**_ _**Off as Not Ever Having Been**_ _**Broken in the First Place.**_

The young girl took a deep breath at the end of that warrant. Talk about a long list of...really...minor...things. The first one made some sense as the 'worst criminals in Bowerstone' but the last two guys just seemed...too average really. Then again, as Rose reminded herself, this was free money from Derek so it didn't really matter who they were getting warrants for. At least they were getting paid for the job, and that was the important thing here.

And on that subject, they only needed two more coins! Rose whistled a tune to herself happily, as the sisters walked along the little street looking for more work. The only person in sight was a man up by a warehouse though. As they began to walk up towards the man, another warrant announced itself...by crunching under Sparrow's foot. The younger girl quickly backed up, and pulled the piece of paper out of the snow. While wet, it was still legible at least.

_**Andrew "The Stammer" M-M-Miller**_

_**Wanted for: Assault With a**_ _**Firearm; Stealing Glances at a**_ _**Firearm; Whispering Sweet**_ _**Nothings to a Firearm;**_ _**Proposal of Marriage to a**_ _**Firearm; Hurling a Firearm into**_ _**a Public Waterway in Anger.**_ _**Also one count of Public**_ _**Intoxication.**_

"Umm..." Rose began, her eyes widening, "I...wha..."

Sparrow merely patted her sister's arm, her own face showing disbelief. Really, what was there _to_ say about that? Better not to think about it really. So that's what the sisters did. Rose pocketed the new warrants, and they walked up the remainder of the steps to the man standing outside the warehouse. Obviously the owner, judging from his clothing, the man looked anxiously at his warehouse, before turning back to the sisters.

Rose asked the obvious question, "Need help with something?"

The man wrung his hands as he looked down on the kids, "Err…sort of, yes. You kids aren't afraid of…beetles are you?"

The sisters giggled at that, as Rose said, "No, that would be silly!"

Didn't seem that way to the man though. He nervously laughed as he looked at the closed door to his warehouse. Letting his laugh trail off, the man turned back to the sisters, a nervous smile on his face.

"Yes silly…ha ha. No one's afraid of evil…conniving…beetles," he said, sounding like he wasn't being very sincere, "Well since you're not afraid, how would you like to ruthlessly exterminate a few in my warehouse?"

The sisters talked amongst themselves, before turning back to the man. While Sparrow giggled behind her hand, Rose bore a serious look on her face as she looked up at the much older man. More money for her...if she could convince him to pay up, anyway.

"We'll do it for a gold piece!" she said.

Surprisingly, the man didn't protest, "Done! Just make sure they _suffer_ will ya?"

Rose nodded...as she felt her stomach sink slightly. She was no good with a pistol, or a sword. So she had to let Sparrow handle this. Her sister gave her a comforting look, as the tiny girl walked through the massive door into the warehouse. The man shut the door behind her, warning the young girl to not break any of his stuff while she was killing the beetles. As he stood next to the door and listened to make sure Sparrow didn't break his things, Rose sat down on the nearest step.

She couldn't help it really...it was in her nature to worry about her sister after all. The girl was only eight...and already, she had to go kill giant beetles. It wasn't _fair_. But, they didn't have much of a choice did they? The sisters needed the money, and if this was the only way to get any...well, they had to make do. Thankfully for Rose's nerves, Sparrow was quick about it. Within a couple minutes, the young girl came out, twirling her pop-gun with a wide grin on her face.

The owner of the building thanked the girl profusely, as he practically had stars in his eyes while he shoved the gold coin into her hands, "That was a massacre! No mercy for the filthy buggers, that's what I like to see!"

As Sparrow continued to grin triumphantly, Rose hugged her sister tightly, "Wow! I didn't know you were so good at fighting!"

The younger girl smiled, "Thanks sis!"

Ruffling her sister's hair once again, Rose lead her down the stairs. They were going to return to Derek, until a barking noise drew their attention. Sitting at the foot of the steps was the pup from earlier, a piece of paper held underneath one of his paws. The sisters smiled at the dog, Sparrow running forward to pet its fur and make cooing noises at it. For her part, Rose reached down and picked up the piece of paper. She let out a triumphant shout upon realizing this was the last of the warrants that the puppy had brought to them.

And, perhaps, the one that made the most sense considering Derek's earlier pleading. For the girl's face paled considerably as she read it.

_**Nicky "The Nickname" Chalmers**_

_**Known Aliases: Nicky "The Nickname" Chalmers (no relation).**_

_**Wanted For: Assault With a Deadly Weapon; Assault With a Potentially Deadly Weapon; Assault With a Weapon We Can't Believe Could Possibly Be Deadly but Unfortunately Was.**_

_**Wanted Dead or Mortally Wounded.**_

_That_ man was certainly worthy of Derek's worry. Shaking her head and electing to not read it to her sister, Rose sat down next to Sparrow, who was happily petting the puppy. The dog seemed to enjoy the attention too, as it leaned into the young girl's touch. The older girl smiled at the sight, it was quite adorable after all. But...

"Thank you for finding this for us boy!" she said, petting the dog on the head and getting a joyful bark in return, "But I'm sorry...we really can't keep you. Come on little Sparrow."

The young girl wanted to protest again, but just nodded as the pup whimpered behind them. Trying to not let her sadness show on her face, Rose lead her sister through the alleyway once more. They had enough gold now...if Derek came through and paid them for getting the warrants at least. And so, they walked towards the guard post. Of course, nothing was _ever_ easy in the lives of the orphan sisters. Standing in the alley, blocking their path at that...was Arfur.

The creepy crook looked a lot less creepy and a lot more _angry_ though, as he glared at the young girls. Crossing his arms and planting his feet to block their path, he growled at the pair.

"Stop right there you little brats!" he snapped.

Rose felt her own temper rising, and stood protectively in front of her sister, "Listen you creep! I told you no this mornin!"

Arfur sneered at the girl in front of him, "This isn't about _that_ girlie! Those warrants...give them to me, _now_."

Rose crossed her arms and did her best to look intimidating. Inwardly though, she was absolutely terrified. Arfur was creepy, yes, but this was a different level. He had never seemed so outright dangerous before. And no matter how good a fighter her sister was, if the man wanted to hurt them...what could the sisters do to stop him? Very little...

"So does our friend the guard," the young girl said, her voice sounding far less certain than she wanted it to.

"Yeah, but you're going to give them to _me_!"

Rose backed up slightly. Sparrow tried to comfort her sister...but even she could tell that Arfur was being serious here. And the sight was terrifying...for both of the sisters. The older girl tried to stay strong though...she couldn't give in to this creep.

"If you try anything, I'll tell our friend what you _really _want!"

Arfur growled and uncrossed his arms, "Fine then! I'll pay you a gold piece for the warrants!"

Him saying that probably backfired on him. Rose felt her determination returning to her. Because if Arfur was willing to pay for the warrants, he wasn't willing to hurt them. If they could just get past him and to Derek...well, they would be safe then. So that was exactly what the sisters did. Rose walked in front of Sparrow, who brandished her small pistol at the crook. While he growled angrily, Arfur made no moves to stop them. He couldn't...not with Derek so close.

He did shout curses after the siblings as they walked up to the friendly guard though. For his part, Derek grinned at the young girls, as they handed him his missing warrants.

"Thanks! You're a life saver you are!" the guard said, handing over a piece of gold, "Now normally, justice is its own reward…but as these aren't normal circumstance, here's your gold piece."

The sisters smiled at the guard as he gave them a salute, before walking off...probably to keep an eye on Arfur. For their part, the siblings shared a hug at the fact that they finally had enough gold to buy the music box. Sparrow practically dragged her sister over to the trader, flat out ignoring a scene at one of the houses behind them. Rose noticed it herself...but what should she care about that when they already had the money they needed? And honestly, she was getting tired...subsisting on scraps of food did not lend itself to having an overabundance of energy.

So ignoring the lovers at the house, Rose watched as Sparrow walked up to the trader. The man looked down on the girl, raising an eyebrow in surprise at someone so young coming to his stall.

"Hello children!" he said kindly.

"Hello," Sparrow replied, "we want to buy the music box please."

The man nodded eagerly, "Very wise little ones."

After the younger girl handed over the coins, the trader placed the box into Rose's hands. She almost stumbled under the weight of the heavy box, but the young girl managed to right herself easily enough. The trader looked eagerly at the gold he had just gained, before waving off into the distance.

"Go ahead and turn the handle three times…but mind you go somewhere quiet like."

Rose nodded, "Thank you sir!"

The man just waved again as the sisters set off towards their little shack. They didn't go all the way to the shelter though, instead stopping at a little box covered with a bit of red fabric. Rose set the heavy box down on the stand, letting out a small sigh of relief at the weight leaving her arms. The two sisters looked at the supposedly magical artifact, not really seeing anything odd about it. Oh, sure it was ornate...but that didn't scream 'magic!' at them. Maybe looks were deceiving?

Sparrow and Rose both placed their hands on the handle to the box. Giving each other nearly identical smiles, they started to turn the handle.

"I wish…I wish…" Rose began, as the first two turns were made.

At the last turn though, the older girl stopped talking, and finished her wish silently. While it may have been selfish of her...she didn't want her little sister to hear her wish.

_We could live in Castle Fairfax. Where Sparrow could be safe…live a better life._

As the sisters finished the last turn of the handle, the box started glowing. Stumbling backwards, the young siblings watched as the top of the box opened...almost like a flower. The opening began to shine with a golden light, as soothing music came from the box. But...the music soon turned faster and faster, as the light began to spark and turn a deep crimson. The box lifted off the table, spinning faster and faster before...vanishing.

While it was obviously magic...it hadn't granted their wish. The sisters were still standing in the same spot, staring incredulously at where the box had once been. And now, there was nothing but the cold wind...and equally cold hearts. Sparrow started crying, as Rose clenched her fists and tried to not let too much disappointment show through.

"Bu…where did it go!" Rose shouted, her frustration coming out despite her best efforts, "Why are we still here?"

"Rose..." Sparrow said, tears running down her face as she clutched at her sister.

The older girl sighed, hugging her sister tightly. Looking back at the empty space where all their hopes had been, Rose shook her head. Continuing to hold her sobbing sister to her side, the older sibling walked back towards their little shelter. At least now they knew of a way to make money...it wouldn't be easy, but as long as they didn't starve it was something.

Still though...

"I was _so_ sure this was it! I had a feeling…like we weren't going to be stuck in Old Town anymore."

Sparrow merely dug her head into her sister's shoulder. Sighing again, Rose almost let out a curse that she didn't want her sister hearing when she noticed the dog from earlier sitting in their shelter. Cute as it may be, she didn't need more mouths to feed. But...this could hopefully cheer Sparrow up. And that would have to be enough.

So she let the dog stay, as the sisters climbed into their shack and quickly fell asleep.

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

Of course, since nothing ever seemed to go right in her life, Rose was woken up in the middle of the night by her new pet barking. Of course, being a puppy it didn't sound as threatening as it should have...but it did serve the purpose of waking the older girl up. Standing up and wiping at her eyes, Rose saw a pair of guards standing at the entrance to their shelter. Neither of them were Derek though...so she wondered _who_ they were.

"All right, settle down. That's a nice…stray dog," the lead guard said, holding his hands in front of the dog.

For her part, Rose walked up to the puppy and rubbed his head, "Shush boy...don't wake my sister up."

As the puppy calmed down at her touch, the young girl turned back to the guards. The men looked like they needed her for something, which was odd in-of-itself. Surely it would have been _Derek_ coming for them if it were something relating to what they did earlier after all. And neither of them ever did anything illegal (well, not in sight of guards anyway) so it couldn't be _that_...could it?

"What do you want?" she asked, perhaps a bit more harshly than necessary considering how sleepy she was.

"I work for Lord Lucien miss, and he would very much like to see you in his castle. I've been sent to collect you!" the guard explained.

Rose's eyes widened, as she turned to her sister. Any anger or sleepiness were quickly forgotten, as pure _joy_ filled her system. Shaking her sister, Rose tried to get Sparrow to wake up.

"It did work! Our wish came true! Come on little Sparrow, wake up!"

The younger girl tried to curl into her thin blanket, mumbling something about being too tired. It was only when Rose's statement of the 'wish coming true' registered, that Sparrow was up, her eyes staring widely at her sister.

"It did?" she asked, her voice cracking somewhat.

Rose nodded happily, "Yes! These guards are taking us to see Lord Lucien!"

Sparrow cried out happily, as she hugged her older sibling tightly. The pair let out tears of joy, as they turned to the guards and began to follow them. Rose stopped to let the pup know they would be back for him, before the sisters followed the guards to the distant castle...their hearts bursting with happiness. They were really going to Castle Fairfax!

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

If Rose had though the Castle was imposing from the sibling's little shack, it was an entirely different experience actually walking towards the structure. The massive building towered over them, as the sisters walked up a long staircase towards the light exiting through an open door. A massive open door, that could probably hold a dozen people. Only one man stood in the doorway though, a man dressed in fancy clothing, with perfectly combed white hair.

The guard saluted this man, as the sisters looked around themselves in awe.

"Hello young ladies!" the fancily dressed man, apparently named Jeeves, said.

"Hello," Rose replied shyly, as Sparrow nodded beside her.

The man smiled kindly down on the sisters, before waving them inside the building. Walking into the castle was like walking into a different world. Instead of the bitter cold of a winter night in Albion, it was...warm. Like a thick blanket had been pulled over the siblings. It was quite a nice feeling really. Not that it distracted them from the sights of the castle though.

A clean carpet...deep red wallpaper...suits of armor. It was everything they had imagined and more.

"We look at this castle every day and imagine what it's like. It's even more beautiful on the inside…" Rose finally said, her awe seeping into her voice.

Jeeves nodded, "It is quite wonderful isn't it?"

As the group moved through the halls, another man began to come down the opposite direction. Rose blinked at the sight...with the man's dark skin and glowing blue tattoos, he struck quite the imposing form. She almost moved to hide behind Jeeves, but whatever else the man looked like, he didn't look mean as he gave the sisters a small smile.

"Ah, hello Master Garth!"

'Garth' just continued walking by though, not even acknowledging the butler. Jeeves just sighed and commented on how quiet the strange man was. Rose didn't really pay attention, as she continued to watch Garth leave the building. Only when Sparrow tugged on her arm did she continue walking. The walls surrounding her continued to draw attention anyway.

However, Rose felt a sudden growl in her stomach. Blushing redder than the decorations in the Castle, she covered it up by asking a question.

"Where's the grand dining hall?"

Jeeves frowned slightly, "Oh in the north wing. Lord Lucien hasn't been in there since…since the tragic deaths of Lady Fairfax and little Amelia."

Rose blushed even brighter as she realized she had put her foot in her mouth, "Oh I heard…that was so awful."

"Yes…he misses them terribly," Jeeves agreed.

Quickly looking for a way to change the subject, Rose looked around the building again. Thankfully for her, Sparrow had a way to change the subject herself. Thank Avo for her sister.

"Then where does he eat?" the younger sibling asked curiously.

Jeeves looked down on Sparrow, "Lord Lucien takes most of his meals in his study. He spends most of his time in there, working on his research."

Seeing an opportunity to move away from the awkward subjects, Rose placed a curious look on her face, "What does he research?"

And actually, Rose _was_ quite curious about that. Lucien was a Lord...surely he knew more than anyone in Albion, right? So what could he be researching? Jeeves seemed a bit uncomfortable at the question, but he didn't show it much.

"History mostly," the butler answered, "Lord Lucien is quite keen on antiques of all sorts. Though he has been chiefly interested in the Old Kingdom as of late."

"There was a trader in Old Town who said his stuff was from the Old Kingdom!"

"Ahh...yes...I believe Lord Lucien heard about that."

Rose smiled brightly, "We bought a piece of it, made a wish, and now we're here!"

Jeeves smiled slightly himself, "Yes you are. Now, when you meet Lord Lucien, you must show respect at all times. Address him only as 'my Lord' and do not speak unless spoken too. And _don't_ mention Lady Fairfax or miss Amelia."

The siblings nodded seriously. They walked into the room after Jeeves opened it. The study of Castle Fairfax was every bit as impressive as one would think. Books lined every wall, stretching up into the high ceiling. A merry fire roared in a massive fireplace, providing most of the light...though a fair amount came from the beautiful stained glass window at the other end of the room.

Standing at a table was the owner of this beautiful room. Lord Lucien Fairfax had aged prematurely after the death of his wife and daughter, lines crossing his face, though his hair remained black as night. The man smiled warmly at the siblings, as he walked over to them.

"Children! It's come to my attention that you have some sort of…magic box. May I see it?"

The man's voice was kind, but there was no denying that what he said was more than a request. Sparrow moved closer to her sister, while Rose shuffled uncomfortably under Lucien's gaze. The man was kind, but the look in his eyes left no room for argument.

"It vanished m'lord. We were winding it up…we made a wish, and it glowed and disappeared…" Rose answered, her voice trailing off somewhat towards the end, as she held her arm worriedly.

Lucien gave her a kind look, "After you used it?"

Rose nodded sadly, "Yes, m'lord. The man who sold it to us said it was magic."

Lucien nodded, moving away from the sisters. He stood by his table once more, a curious look on his face. Turning back to the siblings, Lucien let a smile cross his face.

"The box is of no interest to me. What's remarkable is that _you_ were able to _use it,_" the older man said, his smile fading away, "What was your wish?"

Rose lightly pulled on her pigtail, while Sparrow held her hand tightly. Lucien continued to stare at the siblings, his kind features growing a little harder by the minute.

"Well speak up-what did you wish for?"

"To live in a castle…like this one…" Rose answered, her face gaining a fresh blush.

"Perhaps that could be arranged," Lucien said, before turning away from the sisters, "I'm working to rebuild…well, I'm working on something wonderful. For which I need individuals with specific talents. If you would please step on the circle, I can discover if you possess these talents."

Rose looked a bit leery, "Erm..."

Lucien let another kind, almost fatherly, look cross his face, "Don't worry...it won't hurt you."

The two sisters hesitantly walked up the platform. As soon as their feet touched the curious carving underneath them, a brilliant blue light sprang up around the platform.

"Rose..." Sparrow muttered, "I'm scared..."

"Don't worry little Sparrow," Rose replied, "what is this m'lord?"

"Nothing to worry about my dear," Lucien replied distractedly, as he poured over notes, "It's true…your blood…you _are_ Heroes. Both of you."

Rose's eyes widened, as Sparrow gasped, "Heroes? You mean like in the old stories?"

Lucien ignored Rose's question, and the fact she hadn't addressed him correctly. Instead, he touched the wall of blue light. A wall that turned a shocking crimson, as the Lord pulled his hand away, hissing in pain. If Sparrow had been scared before, she was practically huddling against Rose now...and honestly, the older sibling was little better. The blue light had been comforting in its own way...this red light was the opposite.

_"What _are_ you?" _Lucien hissed, moving back to his notes, "There was something here…"

"What's happening? What's that light?!" Rose shouted, fear seeping into her voice.

"Quiet!" the Lord shouted back, any pretense of kindness long gone, "You aren't any of the three…one of you is the fourth…"

Lucien sighed after he said that, placing his hands on the table like he was steadying himself. And when his hands came back up...one held an ornate golden pistol. A weapon he pointed directly at Rose.

"What's going on?" the young girl shouted, her eyes going wide at the sight of a gun pointed at her.

"This isn't what I wanted…but nothing must stand in my way," Lucien replied, his hand shaking slightly as he cocked the pistol.

Rose felt her heart stop. Lucien was going to kill her!

"No! Wait…don't!"

Before the last word had even finished leaving her mouth, a bullet slammed into Rose's stomach. She collapsed to the floor, fiery pain radiating out from her stomach. She felt blood pouring around her hands, as she struggled to breathe. Trying to force herself to move, the older sister heard something she never wanted to ever hear...the pistol being cocked once more.

"Rose!" Sparrow shouted over the sound of the gun, pulling on her sister's shoulder.

"I can't allow you to live either. I'm sorry."

The gun fired once more...along with the sound of shattering glass. Rose couldn't see, as darkness began to encroach on her vision...but she could hear...hear as her beloved sister fell to the ground.

Tears fell from her eyes, as darkness claimed the young girl.

* * *

_Where...am...I..._

The darkness began to clear from Rose's eyes, as she tried to sit up. She felt a sharp pain in her side as she did so...but it quickly faded away. Forcing herself off the ground she was laying on, the young girl quickly realized something. She wasn't in Castle Fairfax. She was laying on old leaves, if the crunching underneath her was any indication. Fully sitting up against what felt like a tree, Rose blinked her eyes several times, clearing the darkness fully.

Looking around, she could see nothing but trees...trees stretching in every direction. It was what she _didn't_ see though, that brought panic to the young girl. She brought a hand down to her stomach...the wound she expected gone, leaving nothing...not even a trace of pain. But even that didn't distract her for long...because her little Sparrow was _nowhere in sight_.

Jumping to her feet, Rose wildly looked through the trees.

"Sparrow! Sparrow, where are you?!"

Worry for her missing sister overrode all logic for Rose, as she started sprinting through the trees. She didn't care that this place was mysterious. She didn't care that she had no idea where she was, or where she was going. The girl didn't care about any of that...every thought, every emotion, was overridden by pure, overwhelming fear for her sister.

_Where is she...where is my sister?!_

As she continued to rush through the trees, Rose didn't even notice someone appearing in front of her. Not until she slammed right into a very solid form, falling backwards. Holding her head, the young girl gasped and started to crawl backwards. The man...if he could be called that...standing in front of her was _terrifying_. What parts of his face that weren't covered by bandages were decayed, looking like old skin barely stretched over bones. Toss in the glowing red eyes, and the massive weapon on his back...

Well, one could forgive a barely-teenage girl for being scared out of her wits.

"Gah!"

The man frowned slightly, as he knelt down next to the young girl, who continued to attempt to crawl away, "Rose, do not worry. I will not hurt you."

"Who...who are you?" Rose asked, not trusting the man in the slightest after Lucien...her sister! "Sparrow...where is my sister?! And why am I here?!"

"You are in Greatwood," the man answered, "your sister..."

Rose's eyes started to tear up, "She's...de..."

The man sighed, the noise sounding more like a death rattle. Standing back at his full, and very intimidating height, the man looked out at the massive trees that gave Greatwood its name. He seemed deep in thought, before he turned back to Rose. By some miracle, his face softened ever so slightly...though the expression still scared Rose senseless.

"She is not dead."

"Then I have to find her!"

"But you cannot go to her," the man continued, "for _you_ have been dead. For over twenty years."

* * *

**AN: Whoo...that was a doozy. :P**

**In all seriousness though, this is easily the single largest chapter I have _ever, ever, ever_ done. With admittedly good reason...lots of ground to cover from just the tutorial y'know. That being said, I would say not to expect such length from other chapters here. ;)**

**Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Not sure when I can update again (as above,_ busy _is an understatement right now) but hopefully it won't be too horribly long! :D**

**Remember to review if you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Second chapter ahoy! :D**

**...though I only managed getting this one done so fast because I already had a good chunk done when the last one was posted. Heh. :P**

* * *

_"But you cannot go to her," the man continued, "for you have been dead. For over twenty years."_

That was perhaps a bit blunt, as evidenced by the fact that Rose passed out from shock. The man shook his head slightly. He had honestly expected something like that...but he was hardly one to beat around the bush. When one lived for untold millennia, they developed a no-nonsense attitude. Bending down, he carefully picked the young girl up in his arms, and set off through the many trees surrounding him. It had been many years since he had last been in Albion. Even longer since he had a child to care for. In all honesty, even his long memory could not remember the last time he had cared for a child...Nostro had most certainly not been a child.

If it had not been for Theresa asking him, the man would not have even considered doing this. The old Seer was perhaps the only person who understood him however, and so he allowed himself to help her on occasion. And she could have asked a worse favor than helping a tortured young soul adjust to a world that had left her behind for twenty years. He could understand how much of a shock that could be...leave aside the fact that she had been dead, not merely absent. It was only for that reason that he aided young Rose.

He did not envy the girl however. Especially when Rose inevitably wanted to meet Sparrow once more...the shock for both sisters was going to be extreme. Rose would have to adjust to a sister who was suddenly much _older_ than herself. And the Hero of Bowerstone was going to have to get used to the idea that her sister was no longer an immovable protector...that was going to be _her_ job now. For the ancient man could not care for Rose forever...that was her, now elder, siblings job.

"Little one, you are not going to have an easy life," the man said, as he walked into a small home.

Rose shifted slightly, but she was still out-cold. So the man set her down on an old couch, and left to prepare a meal. If what Theresa had informed him of the Spire was correct, then the young girl was going to be in the same condition she was in at her death...aside from the mortal wound, of course. And he had felt just how thin Rose was...the girl couldn't possibly weigh as much as a child her age should. And the thin limbs...the ribs sticking through her raggedy clothing...if there was anything Rose needed at the moment, it was a warm meal. He could only guess at how long it had truly been since she had eaten.

Luckily for the poor child, the man had picked up many recipes in his thousands upon thousands of years of life. He himself required very little food, but the house had been well stocked when he was made aware that Rose would appear in Greatwood after being revived.

_She will need my aid more than she knows._

_-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

While the man was working in the kitchen, Rose slowly woke up on the couch. The girl blinked, as she sat up and stared at her surroundings. She was in a nice sitting room, with a fire merrily crackling in its fireplace. The couch she was on was comfortable as well...not expensive, but well-used and built. She could honestly say it was the most comfortable she had been in a long time...there was something about a warm fire and a comfortable couch that was quite a bit better than the old shack and thin mat she had been using. But where was Sparrow? Surely she would be here with her, the two were inseparable after all.

"Where..." she muttered, before the memory of what that strange man had said returned to her. Rose started shaking, as she fell back down on the couch.

_Twenty years...twenty years...oh Sparrow..._

She should have _been there_ for her sister. Twenty years alone...Rose couldn't even imagine what that must have done to her poor sister. But...how was she alive? While that music box was obviously magic from its vanishing act, that didn't mean the young girl believed in other types of magic. But, how else could she have come back to life? It didn't make any sense! The dead did not come back to life, certainly not after twenty years.

Rose was so deep in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice the strange man returning into the room. She didn't even look up, in fact, until the smell of food gained her attention. Considering that she hadn't eaten in a few da...twenty years...it was understandable that the smell drew her attention. As the man removed his weapon and sat across from Rose, the young girl scarfed down the food. It was something she had never had before...but it was amazing! Granted, a cooked rat would probably have sufficed for her right now...

The moment she was finished eating though, she turned to the strange man who had never taken his red eyes off her. Just like Rose's mind had never left him...or her sister.

"So...who are you?" she asked, trying to get her mind off the gnawing worry for her sister.

"You may call me Scythe if you wish," the man answered, "I am your...guardian...for the time being."

The young girl frowned, "I don't need a guardian! I need my sister!"

Scythe showed little emotion at that statement, "So you say. However, your sister is not ready to see you. While I will not tell you everything she has been through, it has not been an easy task. She will need time to adjust to the idea you are alive."

"But..."

"Rest, Rose," the strange man said, "for now, that is all you can do."

The girl just glared at the man, and crossed her arms angrily. Who was _he_ to tell her what to do? Who was he to tell her she couldn't see her sister? She _needed_ to see Sparrow. Rose _had_ to know her sister was okay. She didn't care if it had been twenty years...or for the fact that her little sister wasn't so little anymore. All she cared about was finding Sparrow again, and making sure she was okay.

It was her job as the older sister, regardless of what may have happened in the intervening years where she had apparently been dead. If anything, that just made her more determined to do what she could for Sparrow. Rose couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for her sister to grow up alone...she deserved more. Both of them did...and thus, she came back to asking herself what right Scythe had to keep her here, away from Sparrow.

Almost as if the strange man could read her thoughts, Scythe turned his head slightly. Rose was ready to press him with more questions, but when the red eyes turned back to her, she saw a look that plainly told her that arguing with this man would _not_ be a good idea.

"I understand your feelings," the old Hero said. His ancient face curved into a barely noticeable smile at the look on Rose's face. People always assumed he had no feelings, to go along with his undead appearance. And in most cases they would be right...but old or not, Scythe still understood how normal humans felt.

"How can you understand?" Rose shot back, her look a mix of disbelief and anger.

The old Hero just stared at his charge, "I have lived a very long time. Very little exists that I do not understand."

Rose kept up her glare for a minute or so, before she turned away and started tugging on her hair.

"I...just want to see my sister," she finally said, her voice deflating, "I'm worried about her..."

Scythe nodded, "I do understand. But, as I have said, your sister is not ready to see you. She has been through too much, in too little time. She shall need time to recover, before she can meet you."

Rose tried to stand up, but her legs gave out under her. She was more tired than she had expected...but that didn't mean she wasn't going to keep trying to leave. Or at least get _some_ sort of information on her sister.

"But you haven't told me _what_ she's been through!"

"It is not my place," Scythe replied simply, "all I can tell you is that she is a Hero. And I am sure you can imagine what that entails yourself."

Considering the amount of stories about Heroes that she had made up for her sister...Rose could easily imagine what Scythe was alluding to. Fighting bandits and trolls, going on adventures. She felt sick just thinking about it...how often had Sparrow been hurt? She didn't even want to think about how close her sister had probably come to dying. Especially not with the memory of the study still so fresh in her head.

A memory that told Rose something else that Scythe wasn't saying. She knew Sparrow better than anyone...her sister was too kind for her own good, but she would attack anyone who so much as dared to hurt her sister. All Rose had to do was think of that bully...and if Lucien had killed her, the man would have been the target of a _very_ vengeful Sparrow. But Lucien was a man with a lot of power...

"She...she is okay...right?" Rose asked, her voice cracking.

Scythe nodded once more, "Yes, she is physically okay. I believe your sister is in Oakfield right now in fact."

Rose smiled ever so slightly, "As long as she's okay..."

Scythe got to his feet, and walked over to a table. The old Hero bent down, and retrieved something for Rose. Two somethings...a piece of paper, and a pen. The young girl on the couch looked curious at the paper, before Scythe handed the paper to her. Now she was looking at the Hero questioningly, wondering what he expected her to do. Scythe merely turned to leave the room.

Before he had fully left, he did turn to look back at Rose though.

"You may write a letter to your sister," he said in his raspy voice, "let her know you are okay. I will insure it reaches her."

"You..." Rose said, her eyes widening, "thank you!"

Scythe nodded slightly in response, before shutting the door behind him. Rose looked at the paper in her hands, her emotions something of a rollercoaster. She was still angry at the old Hero for leaving her here when she should be with Sparrow...but at least the man was kind enough to let write to her sister. If all Rose could do was send a message to her beloved sibling, well...at least it was _something_. She would far prefer meeting Sparrow in person, right away, but at least she could let her sister know she was alive and okay.

Now the question became...what to write?

_Well, you won't find out if you don't start Rose!_

Grinning despite herself- after all, even if Sparrow wasn't here this was a way to talk to her -Rose took the pen and began writing.

_Dear Sparrow,_

_I woke up today in such a peculiar place. It's like a great big forest, with lots and lots of trees that go on forever. I was scared at first because I couldn't find you, but there's someone here who says he's supposed to help me. He told me his name, but I keep forgetting it. Weird._

And it was weird...Rose could have sworn it started with...an S? But she couldn't remember now that she tried writing it down. Oh well, it'd come back eventually.

_I think he's a king or something. He's very thin and wears a hood and looks scary, but he's nice and I feel safe with him here._

Well, that one was probably an exaggeration. Mr. Mysterious was sorta nice...nicer than most of the people the sisters had put up with back in Bowerstone at any rate. But he was hardly a kind man...he seemed rather gruff honestly. Still better than most people she knew though! And she did feel safe...Rose knew she really shouldn't with someone she didn't know. But she couldn't help _but_ feel safe...the fire, the food...all of it was so soothing. Nothing at all like Lucien...who she was trying really hard not to think about.

_ I hope you're okay Little Sparrow. Somehow I know that it's all going to be alright, and we'll be together again one day. He promised me._

"Anything else..."

Rose could have stopped the letter there. She had said what needed to be said. But...it had been _twenty years_. There was so much she wanted to say to her sister...so much she _needed_ to say to her sister. How could she just leave it there? There had to be something else she could put down surely. Sparrow would appreciate it, she was sure.

A burst of inspiration hit Rose...even as a sharp pain went through her heart.

_I...Little Sparrow...I'm so sorry. I was the big sister, I should have protected you. Everything I did was to keep you safe...but that stupid wish. I wanted us to live in the Castle, safe from everything. Just the two of us y'know, living like Princesses. When we went up there, I thought we had that. The wish had come true and we were finally going to be living in the Castle! But...I swear, I never expected Lord Lucien to do that!_

_It was all my fault. If I had noticed something wrong...if I had just left the castle in the first place...you wouldn't have been alone. It was hardly my fault I died, I can already hear you saying that y'know? But I still blame myself Little Sparrow. You had to live without me for so long...how can I _not_ blame myself?_

Even as she wrote that last line, Rose smiled softly. She could almost _feel_ her little Sparrow knocking her in the back of the head. Her sister...would never blame her for anything. Sparrow was far too kind. It didn't stop Rose from blaming _herself_, but it was still warming her heart.

_I don't know how this will get to you...but could you write back if you can? I want to know you're okay Little Sparrow._

_Love, Rose._

* * *

**Bowerstone Market**

* * *

If there was one single thing well-known in Bowerstone- indeed, in all of Albion -it was that the Hero that bore the town's name was the toughest woman out there. She could stare down a Balverine and make it put its tail between its legs and run away. There were tales of the Hero killing a Troll with nothing but a rusty longsword and a crossbow older than Castle Fairfax. Which, while the residents were on the subject, she had bought and fought off a bandit invasion of. To this day, none approached that castle unless given express permission by the guards of Bowerstone, who all served the Hero quite willingly. And these were the _tame _stories of the Hero, not even involving things like destroying a shadow cult or singlehandedly clearing Wraithmarsh of Banshees. All of the stories were quite clear on one fact however. The Hero never, _ever_, showed weakness. She was the rock of Bowerstone, of all of Albion. It was her iron will that defeated _Lord_ Lucien and saved any more people from torment in his Spire.

So, one could be forgiven for not expecting the sight they might have seen, were any suicidal enough to enter the small house the Hero lived in off Bowerstone Market's square. Inside this small, albeit comfortable, house...the Hero was crying. Safe from prying eyes in her first real home, she cried her eyes out like she was still a child, not the strongest woman in the nation. The source of the tears was currently clutched tightly in shaking hands, as the Hero's eyes blurred from the tears.

_Rose...it really worked. She's really alive!_

For these tears were not those of sorrow. There was the decades old pain of losing her sister, brought painfully back to the surface. But, the pain was merged with something she had not felt in just as long. Pure unbridled joy. Oh sure, the Hero had felt happiness or elation, such as when she met Hannah again after the first time at the Spire. She had felt satisfaction when Lucien went tumbling down the Spire that he had ruined so many lives to build, including her own. But joy? She hadn't felt it in so long it was an almost foreign feeling...albeit a very welcome one.

"My sister is alive," the Hero muttered, running her hands shakily along the writing on the letter, "Rose is alive."

She knew the letter was real. The handwriting was the _exact_ same as the writing in the yellowed journal currently sitting in a place of honor in her bedroom, next to a faded old photograph she had gotten off Barnum...before Reaver killed him.

A small smile crossed the Hero's face as her fingers went over the 'love Rose' portion, "Love you too sis...always have. It was so hard...so hard..."

Shaking her head slightly, the Hero put the letter down and walked over to the desk taking up a good portion of her sitting room. Reaching into the desk, she pulled out an old map. Smoothing the paper out, she walked to the table and spread it out.

"But where are you?" she mused, looking at the map, "Lots of trees...Brightwood?"

Almost as soon as the thought occurred to her, the Hero dismissed it.

"No...I would have seen her when I grabbed the Daichi," and hadn't _that_ been a fun experience...no sword was worth going through that _thing_ again. Even if she had felt a decade younger when she came out of it. If only Garth weren't in Samarkand so she could give him a piece of her mind for leaving a cursed chest laying around like that...

A soft laugh came from the Hero at that idea, "Focus Sparrow...if she isn't in Brightwood, where else has a bunch of trees? Greatwood maybe?"

The problem with that theory was that Greatwood was not easily accessible any longer. While it had certainly escaped the fate of Oakvale, it was still not easy to reach that forest nowadays. Granted, that would hardly stop _her_, not after fighting her way through Wraithmarsh. Or, it wouldn't normally stop her. But Rose's note hadn't come alone.

For there was another piece of paper sitting on Sparrow's desk.

_Sparrow...I am aware you will want to visit your sister. You cannot yet. She will need time to adjust to being alive once more, and she will not be ready to meet you for some time. If I am correct, the Spire will have revived her as she was at the moment of her death. You are now the older sister, and both of you shall require time to adjust to this reality. It is both your best interests to wait to visit Rose until you are certain both of you are ready._

_This will not be easy for you I am sure. But it is in both of your best interests._

If it hadn't been for the elegant- and distinctly old-fashioned -handwriting, Sparrow would have discarded this note out of hand considering the lack of a signature. And the subject matter, because the _last _thing she wanted after twenty years away from her sister was having to spend more time waiting to meet her. Even if she could acknowledge that Theresa was usually right about these types of things...the Hero would be lying if she hadn't thought about it. How _would_ she react to Rose? React to her sister being so small and young...all her memories of Rose were of the protective older sister, who always stood above her and protected her.

Adjusting to the fact that Rose was a child while she was an adult...an adult that had seen and done so much, some she wasn't proud of...

"Theresa may have a point," Sparrow ran a hand through her long brown hair, shaking her head softly, "not happy about it, but she does have a point."

While the Hero could acknowledge her mysterious benefactor/mentor/ally/whatever-the-hell-she-should-call-her was likely correct, that didn't mean there was a chance in hell she wouldn't at least write her sister back. Rose deserved that much...then again, so too did Sparrow herself. It had been twenty years, though that was admittedly not true for Rose who would have just seen her a little while ago. Regardless though, the sisters deserved to at the least be able to communicate with each other.

"What am I going to tell her though?" that question was directed at the only other occupant of the room, her trusted dog...who just barked happily, "shoulda expected that eh boy? Okay then...damn, there has been so much..."

_That_ was an understatement. Twenty years of time did add up, especially when most of that time was spent as a Hero. It wasn't going to be easy to write a condensed version of that, to say the least. Probably not possible, actually. Sparrow was _horrible_ at telling stories. Avo knew how many kids had tried to get her to talk about her adventures. She just wasn't comfortable talking about them. And the adventures probably weren't the best idea to tell Rose anyway...she didn't _want_ her sister to worry. The Hero was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but she knew Rose better than anyone- no matter how long it may have been -and knew she would worry anyway.

Best to just talk about herself then...but there wasn't much to talk about _there_ either. She didn't have a husband or kids or anything, never any time to pursue a relationship. So she had to talk about something else...

_Well, might as well get started..._

And so, Sparrow, the Hero of Bowerstone...set to work on writing a letter. The most important letter in her life, in fact. She could only hope that it would work out. She still wasn't sure exactly what to tell Rose...

But she knew her sister would love the letter anyway. It was just how Rose was.

"Come 'ere boy," the Hero spoke up when she was finished, "Think you can find Rose? Remember her?"

Another bark answered that question. Sparrow couldn't help but smile at her canine friend, "Good boy. Here we go...please, be careful out there boy. Don't want to lose you again."

Scratching her companion behind his ear, the Hero smiled slightly as she watched him set off, the letter securely fastened to his neck. If she couldn't go to Rose herself...if she couldn't rely on a runner to find her sister...she knew she could rely on her best canine friend. Her faithful companion would be able to find her sister. She was sure of it.

* * *

**AN: And there we go. Like I've said, no real idea how often I can post on this. We'll see!**

**I will admit to hoping more people read though. Granted I'm probably spoiled by my other ongoing fic in that regard. :P**


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